Hidden-type convertible shoe

ABSTRACT

A shoe comprising a shoe upper including a male member and a shoe sole including a female receptor for locking with the male member. The male member locks with the female receptor by moving the male member with respect to the female receptor in a first direction, which locks the shoe upper with the shoe sole. The male member unlocks from the female receptor by moving the male member an additional distance further in the first direction, which unlocks the shoe upper from the shoe sole. The female receptor includes resilient arms to hold and release the male member and a stop to prevent movement of the resilient arms in a second direction.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to and is a continuation of U.S.Ser. No. 11/944,790 filed on Nov. 26, 2007, which claims priority to andis a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 11/214,271 filed on Aug. 29, 2005 andissued Jan. 15, 2008 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,260, which claims thebenefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/619,659 filed on Oct. 18,2004, which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to locking mechanisms and moreparticularly to a hidden-type locking mechanism that is especiallyuseful for a convertible shoe that allows a consumer to easily remove ashoe upper and replace it for uppers of different styles, functionality,and colors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Manufacturers and retailers have long known the value of a convertibleshoe that allows a consumer to detachably secure a plurality of shoeuppers to a single pair of shoe soles. In addition to the economicadvantage of replacing numerous pairs of shoes with a single pair ofshoe soles and a variety of uppers, such a shoe has other advantages,including conservation of space during travel. Prior attempts to producesuch a shoe have not been successful in that they suffer from manydisadvantages, including complexity of manufacture, difficulty of use,unreliability, and unconventional appearance. Such attempts haveincluded efforts to attach shoe uppers to a shoe sole using snapfasteners, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,058 to H. Jneid, and usingzippers, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,528 to P. Hartung. Theseattempts failed to provide functionality in that they are overly complexand do not provide a hidden-type connection. Recent embodiments for aconvertible shoe have attempted to substantially hide the connectionbetween vamp and sole, including U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,486 to G. Linutilizing clips and U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,846 to G. Lin using a pushbuttonlocking mechanism. Yet, such attempts have not adequately solved theproblem of ease of manufacturing while providing secure locking, hiddenview, and facility of use by the consumer. For example, the patent toLin requires difficult and expensive manufacturing techniques to insurethat the push button is accurately positioned and to prevent foamingmaterial from fouling the internal components. In addition, the pushbutton is visible, or, if attempted to be hidden, presents substantialmanufacturing difficulty and increased costs. Furthermore, suchmechanisms must be located along the outer perimeter of the shoe solesuch that the pushbutton is accessible, thus preventing its applicationto thong style shoe designs in which one upper connection is positionedtoward the center and away from the perimeter of the shoe sole.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

One object of the invention is to improve the versatility and functionof locking mechanisms for fastening materials or objects.

Another object of the invention is to improve locking mechanisms thatcan be substantially hidden from view during use.

An additional object is to improve the appearance and operation oflocking mechanisms by eliminating external release members whileproviding secure and reliable locking function.

A further object of the invention is to improve hidden-type lockingmechanisms for a convertible shoe.

Still another object is to reduce the complexity of hidden-type lockingmechanisms for ease of manufacturing and reduction of costs.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

With the limitations of the previous attempts in mind, the presentinvention provides an improved locking mechanism that overcomes thedeficiencies recited above. The present invention has numerousapplications, including but not limited to accessories such as belts andpurses as well as utility items such as containers, luggage, and thelike. The invention is especially useful for a hidden-type convertibleshoe since no external release buttons or levers are utilized, thussimplifying the manufacturing process and improving both function andaesthetic appeal.

The locking mechanism of the present invention is comprised of a malelatch member and a female receptacle. The male latch member includes anarbor with a planar handle at its proximal end and a catch apparatus atits distal end. A slidable annulus is permanently mounted to the arborand moves between the catch apparatus and the lower margin of the planarhandle. Locking of the mechanism is achieved by pressing the male latchmember into the female receptacle such that the resilient arms open andthen springably close behind the catch apparatus. Separation forcestending to induce upward motion of the resilient arms during use areresisted by stops along the top perimeter of the female receptacle.Unlocking is achieved by pressing the male latch member further into thefemale receptacle such that the slidable annulus first urges open theresilient arms and is then removably pressure captured in the resilientarm notches. The male latch member is then retracted. During retractionof the male latch member, the slidable annulus is dislodged by the catchapparatus, thus allowing for complete separation of the male latchmember from the female receptacle.

The locking mechanism of the present invention is ideal for massproduction through plastic injection molding using a variety of plasticmaterials, including polyoxymethylene and nylon resins and theirpolymers to form the female receptacle, male latch member, and slidableannulus, such that optimum operation, strength, and durability areachieved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and forfurther details and advantages thereof, reference is now made to thefollowing Detailed Description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation front view of the latch mechanism of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation front view of the male latch member of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is an elevation side view of the male latch member of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the female receptacle of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is an elevation front view of the female receptacle cover withstops;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the male latch member entering the femalereceptacle;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the male latch member fully seated in thefemale receptacle;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the male latch member being retracted fromthe female receptacle;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the female receptacle cover with stops;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the embodiment of the present invention in aconvertible shoe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings, and specifically to FIG. 1, the presentinvention includes a locking mechanism comprised of a female receptacle15 and a male latch member 10. Now referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, thefemale receptacle 15 is comprised of a primary housing 15A to house thefemale receptacle 15 and which is shown as a rectangle, insertion guide18 which is formed in the bottom of the female receptacle, and resilientarms 16 with capture notches 17 to hold the male latch member 10. Acover 20 to hold together the female receptacle 15 is fitted withinsertion guide 18A and has integral stops 21 along the top perimeter ofcover 20. The cover 20 is further fitted with pins 22 and 23 forinsertion into registers 22A and 23A of the primary housing 15A toeffect complete assembly of the female receptacle. Referring now toFIGS. 2 and 3, the male latch member 10 is comprised of an arbor 12 withplanar handle 11 at its proximal end and catch apparatus 14 at itsdistal end. A slidable annulus 13 is mounted to the arbor 12 and movesbetween the catch apparatus 14 and lower margin of the planar handle 11.Now referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, locking of the mechanism is achieved bypressing the male latch member 10 into the female receptacle 15 suchthat resilient arms 16 are urged open by, and then springably closebehind, the catch apparatus 14. Stops 21 as shown in FIG. 5 preventupward travel of the resilient arms 16 tending to be induced byseparation forces while the locking mechanism is in use. FIG. 9 showsthe stops 21 with a cavity for the catch apparatus 14 of the male latchmember 10 forming the top of cover 20.

Referring now to FIG. 8, unlocking of the mechanism is achieved bypressing the male latch member 10 further in the first direction intothe female receptacle 15 such that the slidable annulus 13 urges openthe resilient arms 16, is pressure captured in the resilient arm notches17, and is dislodged by catch means 14 during upward withdrawal in thesecond direction of the male latch member 10, thus completely unlockingthe mechanism.

In the embodiment showing FIG. 10, a plurality of female receptacles 15are embedded permanently in a shoe sole 27 and a corresponding number ofmale latch members 10 are affixed to the lower perimeter of the shoeupper 26 at their planar handles 11. In this embodiment, the shoe upper26 is detachably mounted to the shoe sole 27 such that uppers of variousstyles, colors, and functionality may be engaged with a single pair ofshoe soles. To facilitate a hidden-type connection, the top surfaces ofthe female receptacles 15 are recessed into the shoe sole 27 such thatwhen the uppers 26 are mounted to the sole 27, that portion of the upperattached to the planar handle 11 of the male latch member 10 residessubstantially below the top surface of the shoe sole 27, thus giving thefully assembled convertible shoe 25 the appearance of a conventionalshoe.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 10, engagement of the shoe upper 26 tothe shoe sole 27 is accomplished by grasping that portion of the upperaffixed to the planar handle 11 and pressing the male latch member 10into the female receptacle 15 in the first direction. Locking may beindicated by an audible clicking sound that signals that the catchapparatus 14 has been captured by the resilient arms 16. Disengagementis achieved by grasping the upper 26 at the planar handle 11 and pushingthe male latch member 10 deeper into the female receptacle 15 in thefirst direction, thus forcing the slidable annulus 13 to urge open theresilient arms 16. During this action, the slidable annulus 13 isremovably captured by the resilient arm notches 17. An audible clickingsound may signal that the slidable annulus 13 has been captured. Themale latch member 10 is then withdrawn in the second direction aspreviously described. This embodiment provides a secure, hidden-typeconnection that can be easily and quickly engaged and disengaged, whileproviding the appearance and aesthetic appeal of a conventional shoe.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described inthe foregoing detailed description and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to theembodiments disclosed, and particularly to shoe applications, but iscapable of rearrangements, modifications, and substitution of parts andelements as well as use in numerous devices requiring a quick releaselocking mechanism. The present invention is therefore intended toencompass such rearrangements, modifications and substitutions of partsand elements as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A female receptor for locking with and unlocking from a male member,the female receptor comprising: a plurality of resilient arms to holdand release the male member; and a stop to prevent movement of theplurality of resilient arms in a first direction, the female receptorlocking with the male member by moving the male member with respect tothe female receptor in a second direction, the female receptor beingunlocked from the male member by moving the male member an additionaldistance in the second direction.
 2. The female receptor of claim 1,wherein a portion of the plurality of resilient arms contacts the stopwhile preventing movement of the resilient arms in the first direction.3. The female receptor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of resilientarms includes a curved portion to release the male member.
 4. The femalereceptor of claim 1, further comprising an insertion guide.
 5. Thefemale receptor of claim 1, wherein the material forming the pluralityof resilient arms includes one or more plastics selected from the groupconsisting of polyoxymethylene, acetal, polytrioxame, andpolyformaldehyde.
 6. The female receptor of claim 1, wherein the firstdirection is an upward direction and the second direction is a downwarddirection substantially opposing the upward direction.
 7. A male memberfor locking with and unlocking from a female receptor, the male membercomprising: a slidable member; and an arbor to allow the slidable memberto slide along the arbor, the male member locking with the femalereceptor by moving the male member with respect to the female receptorin a first direction, the male member unlocking from the female receptorby moving the male member an additional distance further in the firstdirection, and the slidable member formed to release the male memberfrom the female receptor.
 8. The male member of claim 7, wherein thematerial forming the male member includes one or more plastics selectedfrom the group consisting of polyamides and nylon.
 9. The male member ofclaim 7, further comprising a catch apparatus to engage the femalereceptor to lock the male member to the female receptor.
 10. A lockingapparatus comprising: a female receptor; and a male member, the femalereceptor including: a plurality of resilient arms to hold and releasethe male member; and a stop to prevent movement of the plurality ofresilient arms in a first direction, the female receptor locking withthe male member by moving the male member with respect to the femalereceptor in a second direction, the female receptor being unlocked fromthe male member by moving the male member an additional distance in thesecond direction, and the male member including: a slidable member; andan arbor to allow the slidable member to slide along the arbor, the malemember locking with the female receptor by moving the male member withrespect to the female receptor in the second direction, the male memberunlocking from the female receptor by moving the male member anadditional distance further in the second direction, and the slidablemember formed to release the male member from the female receptor. 11.The locking apparatus of claim 10, wherein a portion of the plurality ofresilient arms contacts the stop while preventing movement of theresilient arms in the first direction.
 12. The locking apparatus ofclaim 10, wherein the plurality of resilient arms includes a curvedportion to release the male member.
 13. The locking apparatus of claim10, wherein the female receptor further includes an insertion guide. 14.The locking apparatus of claim 10, wherein the material forming thefemale receptor includes one or more plastics selected from the groupconsisting of polyoxymethylene, acetal, polytrioxame, andpolyformaldehyde.
 15. The locking apparatus of claim 10, wherein thefirst direction is an upward direction and the second direction is adownward direction substantially opposing the upward direction.
 16. Thelocking apparatus of claim 10, wherein the material forming the malemember includes one or more plastics selected from the group consistingof polyamides and nylon.
 17. The locking apparatus of claim 10, whereinthe male member further includes a catch apparatus to engage the femalereceptor to lock the male member to the female receptor.
 18. The lockingapparatus of claim 10, wherein the locking apparatus locks a portion ofa shoe.
 19. The locking apparatus of claim 10, wherein the portion ofthe shoe is a shoe upper.
 20. The locking apparatus of claim 10, whereinthe locking apparatus is hidden when locked to the portion of the shoe.